Who says breakfast has to be eaten in the a.m. only? Especially today -- Tuesday, February 5, otherwise known as National Pancake Day -- it's an all-day affair. Or should I say all-night? Because for the eighth year in a row, IHOP is serving free plates of pancakes to all diners tonight between the hours of 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Come 'n' get 'em piping hot! Nom nom nom.

And as if the offer couldn't get any tastier, it's for a sweet, philanthropic cause ...

Tonight's free pancake event is clearly designed to draw customers into the chain's 1,500+ locations to spend some dinero on other dishes ... Because, come on, what's a stack of pancakes without some sausage, bacon, eggs, etc.? But the goal is also to get people to donate money to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals "and other unspecified local charities" for the pediatric cancer center's 30th birthday. One hundred percent of the donations will help local charities provide vital equipment, life-saving procedures, and critical care for sick and injured children.

So, in other words, these free pancakes have a lot of heart, people. In fact, IHOP has their fingers crossed that getting people in to chow down on the freebie stacks will help them raise a total of at least $3 million for sick kids (which would bring their impressive grand total of funds for charity to $13 million since they started this tradition eight years ago). We hope so too!

How will you celebrate National Pancake Day? Do you plan on taking advantage of IHOP's event?